This Is Halloween
by hawklover90
Summary: A Trick-or-Treating trip with a friend has six-year-old Grace tumbling into a world of ghosts, monsters and scares. After a somewhat embarrassing first impression with the Pumpkin King, Grace has a Halloween and Christmas she would never forget.
1. Autum Leaves and Holiday Letters

**Full summary: A Trick-or-Treat trip with a friend has six-year-old Grace Gallaher tumbling (literally) into a world of ghosts, monsters, and scares. After a somewhat embarrassing first impression with the Pumpkin King, Grace has a Halloween and Christmas she would never forget.**

**Chapter summary: While baby-sitting, Grace finds the quickest way to keep a five-year-old girl and a centuries-old Elf entertained while killing a few hours. STORY TIME!!!! **

**Okay, first off, I'd like to apologize to everyone for taking so long with my stories. Real life, writer's block, and plot bunnies have it out for me, I just know it. Anyway, this fic will go through a slight rewrite. Nothing too big. Just this prologue and small additions to chappies 1 and 2.**

**Genre(s): Fantasy, Friendship, li'l bit of Horror, some Action, and some Adventure.**

**This fic is rated K+ for scary images and **_**MILD**_** language, **_**GRACE!!**_

**Grace: Alright, alright!! I'll keep the foul mouth to a minimum.**

**With that out of the way, here's the new beginning of 'This is Halloween' by hawklover90**

**By the way, if anyone has any ideas of a title change, please tell me.**

**Disclaimer time! Take it away, Grace!**

**Grace: FINALLY! Alrighty, I am the only product of Hawklover90's warped li'l mind.**

**Me: HEY!!! My mind's not little!**

**Grace: She does not and never will own anything else in this story which was written for entertainment proposes only. By the way, she wishes this wasn't true as well, but she also doesn't own a certain killer bride's cute li'l daughter or a certain very attractive wood-elf. Okay, I know I'm already seeing someone, but come ON people! **

**Me: Grace, if you keep that up, you'll take up half the page and give away who it is. That and you'll make your boyfriend a li'l jealous.**

**Grace: Hey, HEY!! I'm only saying the guy's cute. I do NOT plan on dumping my man and going after someone who's practically like my second oldest brother like some deranged fan-girl! **

**Me: HEY!! **_**Why**_** are you pointing at ME?! **

**Grace: Oh shoot! Later everyone! Enjoy the show! **_**(runs from a very P.O-ed author wielding a heavy object)**_

**Prologue: Autumn Leaves and Holiday letters**

_October, 2005_

A crisp breeze scattered the fallen leaves on the ground, creating small cyclones of red, orange, yellow, and brown. One colorful cyclone was promptly disturbed by a small pair of bright purple boots jumping and stomping around. The little girl attached to the boots giggled at the sound of leaves crunching beneath her feet as the wind played with wisps of her golden brown hair.

"BiBi," a voice of an older girl called out from one of the surrounding trees. "Don't wander off too far, okay?"

BiBi Kiddo paused in her play and let out a mock sigh of resignation. "Yes, _nana._"

From her seat up in the tree closest to the child, Grace Gallaher stared in astonishment at the five-year-old she was babysitting before groaning in exasperation.

"Ugh. And your mom says you spend too much time around _me_!" she said, the smile on her scarred face contradicting the complaining tone. "Well, at least you're learning a new language pretty quick." She added in a cheerful tone.

BiBi giggled in response before gleefully resuming her fun.

Stomping on leaves and hearing them go_ 'crunch'_ under her new boots.

Grace kept her hazel green eyes on the dark blue of the younger girl's denim jacket before turning her attention back to the notepad in her lap.

Her teacher (and BiBi's mother), Beatrix Kiddo, had asked Grace to keep an eye on BiBi while she worked on the five-year-old's surprise Halloween costume. As soon as BiBi gave up on begging one of her favorite baby-sitters to tell her what the costume was (after ten minutes), the two girls packed up a small snack and went to Central Park.

Via portal, of course.

After quickly growing bored of the playground, BiBi dragged Grace to a secluded area of the park's paved path, begging to play in the leaves and promising to stay where Grace could see her.

The result?

The fifteen-year-old sitting perfectly balanced on one of the tree branches, notepad and pencil in hand, invisible to the untrained eye, keeping a close eye and ear on the five-year-old skipping and stomping through the leaves.

So far, only joggers, bikers, and the occasional couple had passed by the two, none showing or implying any ill intention towards BiBi. Nevertheless, Grace was tense, ready to draw her knife or gun should the situation call for it.

If anything happened to BiBi…

Grace fiercely shook her head, banishing the thoughts trailing after that fear, and went back to the notepad. It was a week before Halloween and the young woman was writing her annual letters to her childhood friends and guardians.

The scratch of the pencil and the crunching of the leaves went on for a while before one grew silent.

"BiBi?"

No answer.

Looking up from her letter, Grace searched the ground below her. The five-year-old was no were to be seen.

"BiBi?"

She started to panic as a cold feeling snaked into her stomach.

"BIBI?!"

"Hi Gracie!"

Grace nearly fell out of the tree. Looking up, she swore to this day she almost had a heart attack.

"BIBI?!?!"

Dangling her small legs over the branch above Grace, the five-year-old grinned and waved at her babysitter.

Placing a hand over her own heart, Grace calmed herself a little before yelling out.

"Don't _**ever**_ scare me like that _**again**_, BiBi Kiddo!! _**Understand?!**_"

BiBi winced at the tone of Grace's voice. She was just playing. She didn't mean to scare her friend or make her mad.

"Sorry." The younger girl mumbled looking away.

Grace sighed. "It's okay, honey," she said calmly. "Just don't do that again. Okay?"

"Okay." BiBi said cheerfully.

"Now on another note; _**What are you doing up there!?!?**_" Grace yelled again, this time in disbelief instead of anger. "_How_ did you even get _up __**there?!?!**_"

"I climbed."

"No, seriously."

"I did!" BiBi said indignantly. "Well, I did have some help." She admitted coyly.

"From wh…?" Grace trailed off, then let out a groan of annoyance as the realization dawned on her.

There was only one person, no, one _being_ she knew who was an excellent climber, at home in the trees, the most overprotective of her guardians, and was just as much guilty of spoiling BiBi as she or Beatrix were.

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Grace looked up into the higher branches and called out.

"Legolas!"

The leaves above her rustled for a moment before a familiar lithe figure landed in front of her.

"Hello, _tithen-pen_."

Grace shot a fake glare at the Elf before stating in a low, seemingly nonchalant tone. "Legolas, quit callin' me little and please get your youngest admirer down from that branch before I do one of two things; string you up by your bowstring and leave you hanging here for the vultures or die of either a heart-attack or a bullet to my head."

Legloas chuckled before giving a slight bow. _"Ae anírach, hiril nîn."_

Grace went slightly pink at the title, but when she was able to speak, the Mirkwood prince had already leapt to the higher branch to retrieve the youngest of the three. Undeterred, she yelled after him.

"And_ stop _calling me that, too!"

BiBi pouted when her friend had reached the branch she was on, a sure sign that it was time to come down. Seeing the sad look on her features, Legolas gave her a smile and offered his hand.

"Come on, young one." He coaxed softly.

"Do I have to?"

"I believe Grace said for you to get down from the branch," he stated in a thoughtful tone. "I don't recall her saying anything about leaving the tree."

From where she was sitting, Grace's eyes widened again before she smacked her forehead, silently cursing everything from her own stupidity to the watery eyed, kicked-puppy-dog-pout every young child below the age of nine seemed to possess, to a certain Elf's ability to use her words against her at times.

And the fact that this was one of the few times she could think of that said Elf has given into _that _look.

BiBi, on the other hand, let out a small squeak of delight and practically jumped into the Elf's arms, nearly giving the two older beings heart attacks. Quickly recovering from the scare, Legolas adjusted his hold on the five-year-old and carefully climbed down to meet a still-recovering Grace.

"There we are," he set the small girl down near Grace, who was currently torn between being angry with him or relieved that BiBi was safe. Quickly guessing her train of thought, Legolas spoke before Grace even opened her mouth. "What are you writing?"

"A letter." Grace answered shortly. She had planned to chew him out quickly and cleanly, hopefully without "teaching" the five-year-old girl in their company any more new words, when said five-year-old chirped up.

"Who's it for?"

"A few old friends of mine."

"Where're they from?"

Realizing what had just happened, Grace gave the older being a quick and discrete glare before answering BiBi. "Halloween Town."

" 'Halloween Town'?" BiBi echoed. "You mean like the place on Disney Channel?"

The girl's curiosity grew when Grace gave her the same look she would have when someone asked for a very obvious answer.

"That sorry excuse of a holiday world?!" she exclaimed. "God no! If I _ever_ set foot in that world, Legolas, feel free to shoot me in the head."

It was after her mini tirade that Grace saw the other _look_ on BiBi's features.

_**It**_ was about to happen.

'_Oh crud.'_

"So there's another one? What's it like? Is it scarier? When'd you go there? What happened when you were there? Can I come with you when you ever go back?"

The five-year-old's endless-seemingly-insatiable-sometimes-cute-other-times-annoying series of questions.

It took every bit of Grace's self-control and sense of respect of her friend to keep her from screaming at Legolas. Or, in some immature and slightly sadistic corner of her mind, telepathically shoving him off the branch.

Realizing that BiBi had stopped talking and was eagerly, and somewhat patiently, waiting for her answers, Grace held back her petty anger and answered any and all questions. "We'll see and I'll tell you later, Honeybee."

"Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaase?" BiBi begged. "I'll sit really still an' I won't tell Mommy that you weren't paying attention for a minute so she won't throw sharp stuff at you."

Legolas stifled a laugh while Grace went a little pale at the mention of Beatrix's "method" of ensuring that anyone who looked after her daughter understood and followed any and all rules in regards of her safety and innocence and punishing those who didn't follow them to the letter.

Although many would argue that the method itself would endanger both the safety and innocence of _any_ child.

Looking for a way out, Grace tried a different tactic. "It's a really long story, Kiddo. I might not have enough time to tell you the whole thing."

BiBi pouted a little before Legolas spoke up. "I believe we have time before Beatrix contacts you and the little one has to return home."

Grace snapped her gaze back up at him in a glare. _You're doing this on purpose._ She growled mentally at him. With a heavy sigh, Grace spoke out loud. "I suppose I could. If anything, it'll kill some time."

"Alright!" BiBi cheered.

Grace cast a quick glance at Legolas. _I'm still gonna yell at you later, tithen las. Right now though, you might want to sit down._

_May I ask why? _Legolas "asked". As if to answer his question, the Elf felt a small tug on the sleeve of his tunic. Looking down, he met the pleading brown eyes of the youngest of the three.

BiBi.

_Like I said, it's a long story and my lap is currently occupied._

He avoided the smirk he was sure Grace was directing at him and sat down, allowing BiBi to crawl into his lap. BiBi settled against the Elf, her small head on his chest hearing the steady heartbeat within, and let out a small sigh of content, earning two amused smiles from the two older beings. As soon as the child was comfortable, Grace began her tale.

"It was Halloween night and I was Trick-Or-Treating with one of my friends in his neighborhood."

"How old were you?" BiBi asked.

"Six-years-old," Grace answered. "But it was my third time going Trick-Or-Treating. We had just finished going to all the good houses and were taking a small break…"

tttttttttttttttttttttttt

**So, there you are. The prologue for 'This is Halloween'.**

**And again, if anyone thinks I should change the title, please review, e-mail, or PM me with any ideas. By the way, chapter 2 will be temporarily taken down, but it'll be right back up when I'm done tweaking it.**

**Grace: Why exactly did you think of that for a title, anyway?**

**It was 2 am and I was a little brain-dead. Lay off.**

**Grace: Sure. Okay everyone, see that little green button thingy right there? Please click it. It makes Hawky over there happy and get off her lazy a…**_**(looks up at rating) **_**butt and up-date.**

**And you say I'm mean to you?**

**Grace: XP**

**Oh and here are the translations for some of the Elvish earlier:**

_**Nana**_**-Mom, mommy**

_**Tithen-pen**_**-Little one**

_**Ae anírach, hiril nîn**_**-If you wish, my lady**

_**Tithen las**_**-Little leaf**


	2. Trick or Treat

**Disclaimer: I do not nor ever will own The Nightmare Before Christmas. It and its characters belong to Mr. Tim Burton.**

**Hi everyone!**

**I am SOOOOO sorry for not up-dating before Christmas! I had a paper and project, so those took up most of my winter break. **

**Like I said, there's a prologue instead of chapter one, chapter two is being slightly tweaked, and chapter three is on its way.**

**For now, here is there slightly tweaked version of chapter one.**

**And please let me know if I should change the title.**

**Enjoy!**

**00000000000000000000000000000000**

**Chapter 1: Trick or Treat**

_October 31__st__, 1996_

A crisp autumn breeze scattered the fallen leaves along the pavement. It would have been the perfect night to stay inside.

Well, it would be if the date wasn't October 31st.

One had to admit it was the right atmosphere for the holiday. The moon was full and cast unknown shadows where the streetlights couldn't reach. Children in colorful costumes were running from house to house, halting at the door saying the three words that meant free sweets;

"Trick or Treat!"

Only two children, a boy and a girl, didn't join in the rush, having already gotten to the best homes. Both were standing silently under two streetlights, bags and flashlights in hand.

The boy was around six or seven years old. His light brown hair was combed back from its normally wavy style and his mouth twitched a little, the fake blood at the corners of his lips beginning to dry and itch. Dark brown eyes cast a somewhat nervous gaze toward the darkest areas that lay beyond the radius of the light while one hand tugged at the bow-tie of his tuxedo. The hem of his cape fluttered slightly in the light breeze.

The girl next to him appeared to be around his age. Her shoulder length, light brown hair was tied back with a bright green ribbon while her bangs nearly covered hazel green eyes. A black short-sleeved shirt with a grinning jack-o-lantern was worn over a black and green striped shirt, the long sleeves constantly covering her small hands no matter how many times she rolled them up. The tattered hem of her black and purple skirt rustled a little in the breeze, flowing away from, or clinging onto the black and orange striped stockings covering her legs. A hand held onto the brim of a black witch's hat, the moonlight gleaming against a pale scar across her knuckles and another on the left side of her face. As soon as she was sure her accessory wouldn't fly away, her scarred hand moved down to an emerald jewel on a gold chain around her neck and began fiddling with it. Feeling it was too quiet, the girl looked at her friend's costume with a bit of a critical eye and broke the silence.

"Where'd ya get the tux, Edmond?" she asked the boy curiously.

"One of my mom's friends got married a while ago, so me an' my brothers had to get dressed up." The boy, Edmond, answered.

The girl nodded while looking around. Assured that no one was paying any attention, she looked up at the lights. Her hazel green eyes suddenly turned a bright emerald green. Raising her right hand, she snapped her fingers twice. Immediately, they went out. Down the road, a few wandering trick-or-treaters screamed in terror. Edmond stared at his friend.

That was new.

"Grace!" he stopped himself from yelling to loud. "Why'd you do that for?"

"Cause it looks more scarier like this." The girl, Grace, answered as if it were the most obvious question she ever heard.

Looking around, the young boy had to admit she had a good point. The jack-o-lanterns on a nearby porch appeared a bit more frightening in the dark.

"Well yeah, but what about the owls?"

Grace folded her arms with a brave face. "Those creeps don't scare me!" she declared boldly. "B'sides, if they do come, I can just turn the lights back on an' they'll scatter like idiots. And we have our flashlights, right?"

"Right." He admitted, albeit still a bit nervous.

Grace let out a small giggle. "So what are you dressed as again?" she asked hoping to distract her friend.

Edmond held out the black cape tied around his neck and bore his teeth in what they both thought was a frightening manner. "A vampire." He growled.

Grace cocked her head to the side. "Why a vampire?" she asked innocently.

"Well, what do you think I should've been?" Edmond asked lowering his cape.

The girl grinned mischievously. "A cat." She replied.

"GRACE!" Edmond's bag of candy fell to the ground as both hands flew up to his head, checking to see if he had those dratted ears and whiskers again. Grace stopped him with a laugh.

"Don't worry. I didn't do anything," she reassured him. "Wish I could though." She added sulking.

"Hey!"

"What? I just thought you looked cute," Grace picked up the fallen bag and handed it back to him. "I was just kidding, anyway."

The 'vampire' gave his friend a weird look as she began dancing around the light pole.

"What's going on with you today?" he asked.

"Dunno. I just feel like something cool's gonna happen."

"You always think that."

"Whatever." She continued dancing before stopping to look at Edmond. "Hey Ed, if you're s'pose to be a vampire, where're your fangs?"

The boy went a bit pink with embarrassment as his free hand flew up to his mouth. That's what he forgot! He went to all those houses with no fangs to complete his costume! He must have looked like an idiot.

Grace just smiled as she dug into her own bag of treats. "Don't worry, Ed. I doubt any of them noticed. I think I might have a pair from that one house. You can have 'em if you--." The wind suddenly picked up and blew the girl's witch hat off her head and into the woods.

"My hat!"

Grace began to run after it when she stopped.

"Grace?" Edmond asked, worried about his friend.

She didn't answer. Before he could say another word, the witch tossed him her bag and snapped her fingers twice more, relighting the street.

"Edmond, go back and tell everyone I'll be back soon!"

Edmond just stared confused for a moment. "Wha-what?!"

"GO!"

Surprised at the urgency of her tone, he gave a quick nod then ran to his home. Stopping under another light, Edmond looked back to see Grace disappearing into the trees. He swallowed, trying to stay calm. '_Hope she'll be okay.'_

If she wasn't…

He had begun to jog back to the now crowded streets when a thought struck him. '_Oh man, Robin's gonna be so mad at me!'_

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

Grace had to repeatedly stop herself from yelling out the many words that lead to two hours of timeout and soap in her mouth as her hat continued to weave around the trees, each time just barely evading her grasp.

This was getting irritating! If only she had not made that stupid promise not to use her powers that night.

Of course, she _did_ use it on the streetlights earlier, but it was only two little times. And Edmond promised he wouldn't tell Robin or Marian about it.

Still if she hadn't, this probably wouldn't have happened. Being the age she was Grace didn't think this would happen even if she didn't use her powers.

After what seemed like forever, she was about to give up and use her powers when something caught her eye.

Something was carrying her hat.

Something with small wings and goggles…

'_Hunch!'_

She skidded to a halt, following her hat and the pigmy owl carrying it with only her eyes.

'_That li'l cretin must've been leading me to a trap!' _

Whipping out her flashlight, Grace flicked it on and aimed it toward Hunch, who immediately flew behind the trees.

"You miserable li'l…" she growled. "Hold STILL!"

"Make me!"

"Come on, Hunch," Grace called out. "Gimmie back my hat an' this'll be a lot less painful."

He circled around the trees avoiding the beam. "And what do you mean by _less_ painful?!" he shot back.

"I'll turn my light off and consider not smackin' ya upside the head."

No answer. Rolling her eyes, the witch closed them and began to focus. The little nutcase would never expect this. Opening them, they became a bright, emerald green. The jewel around her neck began to shimmer.

"What the--?"

Hunch never got a chance to finish his sentence. A brilliant light engulfed the area, blinding him.

"GAHH!! TOO BRIGHT!! TOO BRIGHT!!"

He flew off dropping the girl's hat, hitting a few trees along the way. Grace laughed as his shouts and yelps of pain reached her ears.

"YEAH, YOU BETTER FLY AWAY YA COWARD!!" she yelled after him.

The light had already dissipated as Grace stomped over to where her hat had landed, snatched it up, and jammed it back on her head with a satisfied grin. She reached for her candy bag, but only found air. It was gone.

"Wha..?"

Where did it go? She had it a few moments ago. Right?

Now that she thought about it, she _did_ blackout for a few seconds while going after her hat. Maybe she gave it to Edmond to hold on to.

But she didn't remember doing that.

"Well, if I did he better not've eaten any of it." She concluded.

The little witch looked around, finally getting a good look at her surroundings, and mentally smacked herself.

'_Ah, crud.'_

She was lost.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

**Grace: You're ending this with me lost in the woods?!**

**Me: It's called suspense.**

**Grace: I'm six-years-old! This is torture!!**

**Me: Get over it. At least you're not hurt or anything.**

**Grace: It's mental torture! **

**Me: It is not. It's just you lost in a forest for a short period of time.**

**Grace: Okay, then what?**

**Me: Sorry, can't tell.**

**Grace: You're mean.**

**Me: Just ask the nice readers to send a review.**

**Grace: Fine. Hey. You guys reading this. See the green label-button thingy down there. Please click it. Reviews make authors happy and work faster.**


	3. Doorways

**Disclaimer: Hi! This is Gracie! I've locked Hawklover90 out of the house so I can tell you she doesn't own The Nightmare Before Christmas. **

**LEMMIE BACK IN, YA LOUSY--!!!**

**Grace: Language, Hawky. This fic is**__**rated K+. Anyway, she doesn't or ever will own The Nightmare Before Christmas. That belongs to Mr. Burton. I am the unfortunate product of her warped little mind…Oh, and Edmond and Hunch don't belong to her either. They belong to a guy named Don Bluth. Probably should've mentioned that earlier, but she was either too lazy or in denial…I'd go with too lazy. **

**YOU SUCK!!**

**Grace: Ah, you'll get over it. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Doorways**

Grace's first impulse was to call out for help. Then she remembered Hunch.

'_Stupid bird brain,' _she fumed inwardly. She then let out a quiet, frustrated sigh. "Who am I kidding, stupid me! Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!"

Momentarily forgetting (and not really caring) where she was or the possible danger she could run into, Grace plopped down on the ground, softly grumbling a few choice words for her foolishness, many of which she was pretty sure Robin, Marian, and Little John would put soap in her mouth if she ever said them out loud.

"I should've guessed something was wrong," she grumbled. "I mean, come on! What kind of wind blows a hat like mine **this **far?! It's not even possible! And exactly **how **many times has Basil told me? I have a mind, USE IT!! If something doesn't seem right, it's either a trap or in my case, warped reality. Okay, that last part might've been a joke, but still…ARGH!! DAMMIT!"

Her profane scream of frustration echoed throughout the wooded area. The silence that followed was quickly broken by a sound in the woods.

'_Speaking of using my head, I'd better move and use it to find a way outta here,' _she quickly scampered to her feet, snatching up her fallen flashlight._ 'Little coward's probably getting his uncle.'_

Keeping her flashlight on, Grace looked around in all directions. "Okay. Use my head to find out wherever _here_ is, then leave."

She began to walk deeper into the trees, unknowingly farther away from the street.

**MMMMMMMMMMM**

What was a few minutes felt like a very long time to the six-year-old. Grace had given up on walking during that time, telling herself running would get her out of the woods faster. She ran farther into the forest, looking for a way out. As much as she tried to fight it, a sense of panic began to creep into her thoughts.

Which way should she go?

Left?

Right?

Front?

Behind?

Her mind was so focused on finding a way out, she finally stopped running when she tripped on a root and fell face first to the ground, landing with a grunt. She lay sprawled out on her stomach for a moment, her face hidden in the dirt as she got her wits back. Then, very carefully, Grace lifted her head from the ground and pushed herself up until she was on her knees and elbows.

"Ow…"

The fall wasn't that painful, but it had to be said. Her hands were scraped and dirty, her face was grubby, her costume had dirt all over the front, and one of her stockings was torn, revealing a scraped knee. Other than those minor injuries, she was fine. By some odd miracle, her hat stayed on her head during the fall.

'_Maybe I should just go home the usual way,'_ Grace thought with a sigh. _'As much as I like being in new and strange places and having adventures, I think I've had quite enough for tonig…Where's my flashlight?'_

Grace had reached for her flashlight before noticing it was missing. Forcing herself to stay calm, the six-year-old looked around her. Almost immediately, a glint in front of her caught her eye.

Looking up, Grace's eyes grew wide with terror, her heart nearly coming to a stand-still.

She found her flashlight. Or to be more precise, what was left of it. During the fall, the device had flown from her hands and smashed into a tree.

'…_oh no!'_

Fearing the worst, she threw her arms over her head and shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the sound of wings flapping and the feeling of talons sinking into her small arms and shoulders.

She didn't know how long she kept still and held her breath, but Grace couldn't stay curled up like this forever. Her legs and left side were starting to cramp. Cautiously opening one eye, Grace took a look at her surroundings. The full moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting its glow over the area and giving the small witch some light to see.

There was nothing. There were only trees and no grass.

And no owls.

'_What? Where are they?' _she thought. _'My flashlight's broken an' I'm by myself. I'm a perfect target.'_

Slowly standing, the witch viewed the woods around her with curiosity. Some of the trees in this forest were quite thin and the grass wasn't the only missing greenery in the area. There were no bushes or leaves on the ground or trees.

"If it wasn't for the trees, I wouldn've thought of this as a forest." She said to herself, deeming it safe enough to talk.

In front of Grace were seven thick trees in a circle. Before she can take in anymore of the area, her hat suddenly flew over to the circle. Still on her guard, the girl reached toward her belt and pulled out a small dagger.

Even though she was only a child, Grace had gotten herself into situations that would have normally ended her young life if she didn't have her powers. Because this, one of her guardians gave her a knife two months earlier, after pounding how to use it for defense only and not to use it unless necessary into her head.

Holding the small blade up, Grace scanned all around for anything that might have knocked her hat off. After a moment, she lowered her hand, now convinced it was just the wind.

"What is with this bloody wind anyway? It's usually not this strong in this world."

Putting the thought aside for now, Grace sheathed her dagger and ran after her hat, spotting it resting at the base of one of the wider trees. _'There you are,' _she thought. _'I wonder if Da…Robin's hat ever gives him this kind of- -What in the world. . .?'_

There were pictures on the trees with small objects at the bases.

"What is this?"

A heart, a four leaf clover, a painted egg, a turkey, a decorated tree, a jack-o-lantern, and a firecracker was carved and painted on one tree each. A small grin crept across her face as she pointed to each one. "Valintine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, and the Fourth of July. . . these're all holiday pictures. But who put them here? Maybe I'm in a different world again. Oh right, my hat."

The hat landed at the base of one of the trees. Grace picked it up and was about to put it back on before she nearly let out a yell of surprise. The eerie grin of the jack-o-lantern was only mere inches away from her scarred face.

'_Okay, calm down, Gracie. It's just a painting.'_

Trying to slow her already racing heart, the six year old took a better look at the painted tree.

The nose seemed a bit. . .off. It was sticking out like a door handle. Now that she thought about it, Grace took a closer look at the other trees. They all had the same thing. "These are all doors. But to where?" On a whim, Grace grabbed the nose and pulled.

The 'painting' swung open much to the child's shock and delight. Curiousity overruling common sense again, Grace leaned into the opening and looked around. Much to her disappointment, there was nothing.

Just darkness.

Grace sighed and placed her hat back on her head, figuring she needed to head back anyway. She was about to walk away when she noticed the door was still open.

"I guess I should close that." She reasoned. Grabbing the door handle, the girl decided to look through it again, just in case she missed something. Grace must have leaned too far because the next thing she knew, her hand slipped from the wooden knob as she was free-falling into the darkness.

"NOT AGAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNN!!!!!!!!!!"

Her screams echoed briefly through the empty woods before fading into the night. With no gust of wind or a slight breeze, the jack-o-lantern door slammed shut.

**BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB**

**Sorry for the delays folks.**

**Grace: **_**'Sorry'?!? **_**Now you have me fallin' through some dark pit to God-knows-where!! If you're trying to get me to earn the 'World's Most Traumatic Childhood' award, you're doing a hell of a job! **

**Get over it, there are people who have it worse. And watch your mouth! This**_** is**_** a K+ fic!**

**Grace: Right. 'K+' meaning I can swear a little bit. As long as we both know the limits.**

**Good. Now could you do me a favor and…**

**Grace: Yeah, yeah. Please chick the li'l green button right there and give us a review. Reviews make Hawky over there happy and hopefully get me through this mess faster. In other words, up-date quicker.**

**If I can find the time to between my job and other stories.**

**Grace: You'd better!**

**I make no promises.**

**Grace: How'd you get back inside, anyway?**

**Ahhh….well…**

**Grace: Where were your keys this time?**

_**(Incoherent mumbling)**_

**Grace: What was that?**

…**my pocket.**

**Grace: **_**(stares at Hawklover for a moment)**_** I'm telling the others.**

**You do an' Bart finds out who ratted him out about the bridge incident.**

**Grace: You wouldn't dare.**

**Both: Until next time, everyone!**


End file.
